‘Profit Grab!'
Consumers Lash Out At $156 M ComEd rate hike

Chicagoan Gregory Harrison of the Midwest Workers Association asks the ICC to reject ComEd's $326 million increase. “Each rate hike means we all have less money to spend in our communities,” he said.
May 24, 2011—After facing a packed hearing room, signs that scolded it to “do your duty,” and a tense moment with a protestor, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) on Tuesday voted 5-0 in favor of a $155.7 million rate hike for Commonwealth Edison—despite evidence by CUB and the Illinois Attorney General’s office that the rate hike should be wiped out.

“Each rate hike means we all have less money to spend in our communities,” Gregory Harrison, who was part of a group of protestors from the Midwest Workers Association (MWA), told the commissioners before their vote. “This rate increase is clearly a profit grab”

The ICC voted unanimously to give ComEd a $155.7 million delivery increase after Harrison and a handful of others spoke. CUB immediately vowed to appeal the decision. Experts hired by the consumer group and the office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan argued that ComEd didn’t deserve a rate hike and, in fact, should give its customers a $40 million rate cut.

David Ingram, a professor of social and political philosophy and ethics, said such rate hikes force people “to make the most difficult choice of their lives: to feed and clothe their families or provide them with basic electricity.”

Ada Steenken said it’s not fair that ComEd gets a rate hike when its parent company, Exelon, made $2.7 billion last year and paid its CEO, John Rowe, more than $9 million in total compensation. “ComEd does not need a rate increase, ComEd does not deserve a rate increase,” the Chicago woman said.

At the end of several comments from consumers opposed to the rate hike, April Knighten, of Chicago, attempted to speak but was told that her name wasn’t among the people who had applied ahead of time.


April Knighten confronted the ICC when she was told she couldn't speak. "Keep utilities affordable for all of us," she said, sparking a standing ovation.
“Let her speak!” several yelled from the crowd, and Knighten said: “You’ve given ComEd 11 months, you can give me three minutes,” referring to the 11-month rate case.

But the commission attempted to move on to the rate-hike ruling.

After standing in the middle of the audience with a sign that read “ICC Do Your Duty,” Knighten suddenly marched up to where the commissioners were seated at the front of the room and slapped down her application. “Excuse me, here’s my application, submitted on time,” she said. “I will be speaking.”

In a speech that sparked a standing ovation, Knighten concluded: “Keep utilities affordable for all of us!”

Knighten later said she insisted on having her voice be heard because she had faxed her application to speak to the ICC yesterday. "I didn't get dressed up for nothing," she said, with a smile.